In almost all areas and directions where Ukrainian troops are advancing in the south, they are achieving tactical success and are gradually moving forward, up to 2 km in each direction as of now, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar has said.
She noted that the process of consolidating Ukrainian troops in some of the liberated positions and settlements is ongoing.
"Our troops are operating in conditions of enemy air and artillery superiority. In the areas where we are on the defensive, no positions have been lost and the enemy has not been able to advance. In the east, the Ukrainian Defence Forces are conducting both defensive and counter-offensive operations. Here, the enemy is trying to force our troops out of their positions, conducting assault operations in several directions at once, in particular in the Lyman sector," said Malyar.
She added that the overall intensity of hostilities in the Bakhmut sector has slightly decreased. "Our troops are conducting offensive actions in certain areas, occupying dominant heights and forest belts in order to gradually push the enemy out of the approaches to Bakhmut. The enemy is making every effort to stop the offensive of our defence forces," she noted.
In the south, Ukrainian troops are conducting active offensives in several areas at once. In the Berdyansk and Mariupol sectors, the enemy is massing troops from other directions and increasing its firepower. In addition, Ukrainian soldiers are facing continuous mining of the fields.
Yesterday Malyar reported advances of about a kilometre in each direction.
According to her, the Russians moved a unit of air assault troops from the south to the east.
Today the commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyy, said that Russia was concentrating large forces in the Bakhmut sector, but the Ukrainians have the advantage in quality, accuracy and motivation.